Stacking frame assembly for a pallet



Jan 23, 1968 G. Q. EVANS 3,364,833

STACKING FRAME ASSEMBLY FOR A PALLET 7 Filed Sept. e, 1966 Ill r0. 2.

fNvs/vra/e. 050265 (7. Eva/vs United States Patent Ofilice 3364M Patented Jan. 23, 1968 3,364,883 STACKING FRAME ASSEMBLY FOR A PALLET George Q. Evans, 204 S. Locust St., Compton, Calif. 90221 Continuation-impart of application Ser. No. 482,756, Aug. 26, 1965. This application Sept. 6, 1966, Ser. No. 577,361

6 Claims. (Cl. 108-53) ABSTRACT OF Ti-lE DISCLOSURE A stacking frame assembly for a pallet including two generally identical mating structures including a locking plate and engagement means on each plate adapted to interlock with each other and retain the mating structures securely together against perpendicular or horizontal separation in any transverse plane. The engagement means includes a slot and a headed pin transversely spaced from the slot on each structure, and the slot in one plate being generally opposite the pin on the other plate. The stacking frame structures also include foot bracket means for detachably securing the stacking frame assembly to a pallet when the structures are interlocked.

This application is a continuation-in-part of my patent application Ser. No. 482,756, now United States Patent No. 3,289,613, issued Dec. 6, 1966, and reissue application Ser. No. 641,721, filed Apr. 21, 1967. It relates to a frame assembly adapted to be used when stacking pallets and more particularly to a stacking frame assembly which may be disassembled into separate halves to facilitate storage and transit, yet can be quickly assembled without tools into a structure which detachably engages the periphery of a pallet to provide a solid support frame for tiering pallets.

In transporting and storing articles by means of fork lift trucks it is conventional to use pallets adapted to be lifted by the fork lift trucks and that include a platform upon which the articles are carried. Since often these pallets loaded with articles are tier stacked to conserve space the articles must be stacked evenly and be sufficiently strong to withstand the weight of additional loaded tiers of pallets. When the articles being stacked are of irregular size or fragile packaging then it is necessary to provide a supplementary frame assembly structure around the pallet in order to permit tiering. Such frame assemblies should be sturdy enough to rigidly support heavy loads, yet light enough to be easily attached to a pallet and preferably quickly disassembled when not in use for convenient storage. The structures prior to my invention sacrificed one or more of these preferred fea tures so as to provide compromise frame assemblies interior in at least some respects to the most desirable form.

Therefore, it is the primary object of this invention to provide a frame assembly for stacking pallets which is sturdy, easy to engage with a pallet and detach therefrom and which can be quickly disassembled for storage.

Another object of this invention is to provide a stacking frame assembly for pallets which is resiliently engageable with and detachable from a pallet and which can be quickly disassembled by moving its separate parts in a different direction from the resilient pressure of the assembly when engaged with a pallet.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a stacking frame assembly comprised of a pair of mating structures which are quickly locked together by rotary movement into an assembly having members resiliently attachable to a pallet by movement substantially normal to the rotary movement by which the mating structures are engaged together so as to rigidify the assembly when engaged with a pallet.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent from the following description and by reference to the drawings wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a top plan view of a stacking frame-assembly in accordance with this invention secured in operative position to a pallet;

FIGURE 2 is a horizontally sectioned view of the interconnection between the mating portions of the stacking frame assembly;

FIGURE 3 is a vertical section taken through line 33 in FIGURE 2 showing the mating rivets and holes in locked position;

FIGURE 4 is a vertical section similar to FIGURE 3 showing the mating rivets and holes turned to the unlocked position;

FIGURE 5 is a perspective view of one of the mating halves of the stacking frame assembly; and

FIGURE 6 is a perspective view of the details of a foot bracket used in the assembly.

Briefly, a stacking frame assembly in accordance with this invention includes a pair of generally identical mating structures, each of which include normally vertically positioned, laterally resilient, leg portions interconnected at their upper ends by arm portions normal to the leg sections and parallel to a pallet when engaged therewith. The separate mating structures comprising the stacking frame assembly are locked together by engaging attachment means secured to the end of the arm portions which are remote from the interconnected leg portions. The attachment means between the mating structures is adapted to operate by rotary movement normal to the lateral resilient movement of the leg portions and the engagement of the leg portions with a pallet is by brackets at the lower ends thereof which require lateral springing of the leg portions. Thus, the engagement of a stacking frame assembly with a pallet is by movement substantially normal to the locking of the separate parts thereof together which serves to rigidify the entire assembly and prevent detachment of the separate parts without first disengaging the assembly from a pallet to which it may be secured.

Referring to the drawings the stacking frame assembly generally designated 10 is mounted on a conventional pallet 12 of the type which are designed to be lifted by fork trucks. The stacking frame assembly 10 provides a structure which, when mounted on a pallet 12, will allow tiering of additional pallets and stacking frame assemblies spaced in such a manner that merchandise on the pallets will not be crushed.

Pallet 12 is comprised of parallel stringers 14 secured between an upper platform 16 and an identical lower platform 16 and an identical lower platform 18. These platforms may be made of any suitable material such as sheet plywood or, as illustrated in the drawings, spaced parallel boards or slates. Normally both the upper and the lower platform have peripheral surfaces flush with the outer side faces of the two outside stringers 14 to which they are secured. The ends of stringers 14 are also generally cut off flush with the peripheral surfaces of the platforms.

The stacking frame assembly 10 is comprised of two generally identical mating structures 10a and 1012, each of which include a pair of generally parallel independent leg sections 20 which are longitudinally rigid and laterally resilient. The leg sections 20 have secured at their lower ends 20a foot members or brackets 22 and at their upper ends 20b arm sections 24, the latter of which are disposed in a plane generally normal to the leg section 20 to which they are councted. The arm sections 24 are secured at their outer ends 24a to the upper ends 20b of the leg sections 20 by welding or any suitable means. Preferably the leg sections 20 are inclined inwardly about 2 from the perpendicular relative to the plane of the attached arm sections 24 so that when they are laterally sprung outward to engage a pallet 12 they will assume a substantially normal relationship thereto.

The arm sections 24 of each half of the stacking frame assembly are diagonally angled inwardly toward a centrally positioned flat locking plate 26 which is secured to the inner ends 24b of the arm sections 24 so as to interconnect arm sections 24 in each half of the asembly 10 together. Supplementary support between the inner ends 24b are provided by transverse bars 27. The locking plates 26 each have face portions 26a which are disposed in a plane normal to the pair of arm sections 24 to which they are respectively secured and parallel with the plane in which both of the leg sections 20 lie. These locking plates 26 serve as a means for detachably securing the mating structures 10a and 10b of the assembly 10 together through rotary motion in the plane of the plates 26.

Each of the locking plates 26 preferably has a rivet or headed pin 28 perpendicularly protruding from the face portion 26a of the plate 26 which is the portion remote from the interconnected arm sections 24. The rivets 28 are formed with an enlarged rounded head 28a and a reduced circular shank 28b which is slightly longer than the width of a plate 26.

laterally spaced from each of the rivets 28 in the locking plates 26 are rivet holes or slots 30 which extend through the plates 26 and are adapted to receive the rivets 28 from the mating structures 1011 or 10b of the assembly 10. Thus, the rivet holes or slots 30 are comprised of an enlarged rounded end opening 30a which is larger than the head 28a of a rivet 28 and a reduced interconnected curved elongated opening 30b which is narrower than the diameter of a rivet head 28a but wider than the diameter of a rivet shank 28b. The elongated opening 30b terminates in a rivet seating end 300 which is in a plane tangential to the periphery of the shank 28b of the rivet 28 which is the same locking plate 26 and which is parallel to the plane of the arm sections 24. The curvature of the elongated opening 30b is defined by a portion of the arc of a circle, the middle of which is centered on the axis of rivet 28.

The particular relative shape and configuration of the rivets 28 and the rivet holes 30 hereinbefore described are specifically constructed so that the mating structures 10a and 10b of the stacking frame assembly 10 may be securely locked together. Thus, during assembly the face portions 26a of the locking plates 26 of each of the structures 10a and 10b are placed flush against each other and rotated in the plane of the plates 26 so that the head 28a of each rivet 28 protrudes through the opening 30a in the complementary locking plate 26 as best viewed in FIG- URE 4. Then the structures 10a and 10b are rotated in the plane of the plates 20 so that the shanks 28b are moved through the elongated opening 30b to its rivet seating end 300 as shown in FIGURE 3. At this point the respective plates 26 and their mating structures 10a and 10b are locked together so as to solidly resist unlocking save by reverse rotation in the plane of plates 26 since the length of shanks 28b of the rivets 28 are only slightly greater than the thickness of a plate 26. That is, the interior surface 280 of the rivet heads 28a will bear firmly against the inside surface 26b of the plates 26. Also, since the rivet seating end 300 of the hole 30 is in a plane which is parallel to the connected arm sections 24 and passes tangentially through the periphery of the rivet shank 28b which is in the same locking plate 26, the arm sections 24 in both halves 10a and 1012 will be in the same plane. It will be seen that when the complementary mating halves 10a and 10b are locked together an assembly 10 is formed wherein the arm sections 24 are disposed diagonally across the top of the assembly 10 to form a solid upper supporting surface in a plane substantially parallel to the plane of a pallet 12 when it is secured in the foot brackets 22 of the assembly 10.

When the complementary mating halves 10a and 10b of the stacking frame assembly 10 are locked together it is ready to be mounted on a pallet 12. This is accomplished by springing the foot brackets 22 on the lower ends 20a of the leg sections 20 outward away from the locking plates 26 and then positioning the assembly 10 so that the foot brackets 22 snap into engagement with each of the corners of a pallet 12 by fitting around the ends of the outside stringers 14.

The foot brackets 22 may be specifically constructed so as to be able to detachably, but securely engage the periphery of a pallet 12 as more fully described in my co-pending patent application now US. Patent No. 3,289,613, issued Dec. 6, 1966, and reissue application, Ser. No. 641,721, filed Apr. 21, 1967. They are formed into an inverted L-shaped structure which includes a flatbase or horizontal plate 32 having a top surface 32a, a bottom surface 32b and a leg or vertical plate 34 depending downwardly from and generally normal to the horizontal plate 32. The vertical plate 34 terminates in an end 34a generally parallel to the horizontal plate 32. Protruding normally from the vertical plate 34 is a wing 36 which extends outwardly and has a lower edge 36a in the same plane as the end 34a of vertical plate 34. The wing 36 extends up wardly from said edge 36a. A flange 38 is bent inwardly from the wing 36 and is generally parallel to the vertical plate 34 and terminates at its upper edge 38b in spaced relation to said base 32 the space being slightly greater than the thickness of the platform 16.

The inner width of the wing 36 is slightly greater than the thickness of a stringer 14.

Thus, in use, foot brackets 22 are disposed on the top surface 40 of upper platform 16 so that the bottom surface 32b of horizontal plate 32 will bear against it and the Wing 36 bears against the end of a stringer, which is generally flush with the marginal edges of the platform. The side portions of stringer 14 will be securely engaged and disposed between vertical plate 34, Wing 36 and flange 38 and substantially all of the stringer immediately adjacent the point of engagement with foot bracket 22 will be protectively covered by the bracket. Hence, a tight secure fit will be provided by a foot bracket 22 both on the top and around the adjacent end of the stringer 14. p

The upper edge 38b of the flange 38 will serve as a stop to prevent the foot bracket 22 from becoming vertically disengaged from pallet 12.

And it will be observed that the resilient attachment of the foot brackets 22 on a pallet 12 puts tension on the assembled stacking frame assembly 10 in a direction substantially normal to the plane in which the separate halves 10a and 10b are rotated when locked or unlocked together. Thus, a rigidified structure is formed which is substantially as solid in all respects as a single piece stacking frame assembly 18. It can, in turn, be quickly and easily disassembled for storage, but only when it is disengaged from a pallet.

While a foot bracket 22 has been illustrated and described in detail it should be realized that the interlocking feature of the stacking rack assembly is the primary subject matter of this invention and any type of demountable foot brackets may be utilized without departing from the spirit of the invention. 3

Although I have herein shown and described my invention in what I have conceived to be the most practical and preferred embodiment, it is recognized that depar tures may be made therefrom within the scope of my invention, which is not to be limited to the details disclosed herein but is to be accorded the full scope of the claims so as to embrace any and all equivalent structures and devices.

I claim:

1. A stacking frame assembly for mounting on a pallet comprising: two generally identical mating structures each of which includes a pair of laterally resilient and longitudinally rigid generally vertical spaced apart leg sections having upper and lower ends, foot brackets ecured to said lower ends and adapted to be detachably and resiliently secured to the pallet when said leg sections are substantially perpendicular thereto by lateral springing movement of said leg sections, generally horizontal arm sections having outer and inner ends, the outer ends being secured to the upper ends of said leg sections and the arm sections extending diagonally inwardly toward each other in a plane substantially normal to said leg sections, and a locking plate rigidly interconnecting the inner ends of said arm sections, said locking plate of one structure including engagement means adapted to interlock with the engagement means of the locking plate of the other structure, said engagement means including a slot and a headed pin transversely spaced from the slot, the slot in one plate being generally opposite the pin on the other plate and formed with one portion of suflicient diameter to receive the head of the pin and another portion with a width smaller than the head of the pin, whereby the two plates are interlocked by a first mutual advance to pass the pin heads through the slots followed by an opposite relative rotary motion, and the interlocked engagement means retaining the mating structures securely together against perpendicular or horizontal separation in any transverse plane, and the lateral springing of the leg sections when the foot brackets thereof are engaged with a pallet contributing rigidity to said stacking frame assernbly.

2. A stacking frame assembly as defined in claim 1 wherein the foot brackets each comprise a generally L- shaped inverted section of flat rigid material, the base of the inverted L-shaped section comprising a horizontal plate adapted to seat on top of a pallet and the leg of the inverted L comprising a vertical plate adapted to bear against the marginal edge of said pallet and a vertical fiat wing which extends from and normal to said vertical plate, a vertical flange extending from said wing at an angle thereto and having an upper straight edge spaced downwardly from the bottom of said horizontal plate a distance slightly greater than the thickness of the pallet platform whereby said platform may be frictionally held between said wing and said flange and engaged against the bottom of said horizontal plate.

3. A stacking frame assembly for mounting on a pallet as defined in claim 1 wherein said headed pin includes an enlarged head portion and a shank portion having a diameter less than said head portion, and said shank being of a length slightly greater than the thickness of said locking plate.

4. A stacking frame assembly for mounting on a pallet as defined in claim 1 wherein said slot portion formed with a Width smaller than the head of the pin is a curved elongated opening with a stop therein providing pin seating pin seating means remote from said slot portion of sufficient diameter to receive the head of said pin, said pin seating means arresting the opposite relative rotation of the plates at a predetermined position.

5. A stacking frame assembly for mounting on a pallet as defined in claim 4 wherein the stop is a closed end of the slot.

6. A stacking frame assembly for mounting on a pallet comprising: two generally vertical mating structures each of which includes a pair of laterally resilient longitudinally rigid generally vertical spaced apart leg sections having upper and lower ends, foot brackets secured to said lower ends and adapted to be detachably and resiliently secured to the pallet when said leg sections are substantially perpendicular thereto by lateral springing movement of said leg sections, generally horizontal arm sections having outer and inner ends, the outer ends being secured to the upper ends of said leg sections and the arm section-s extending diagonally inwardly toward each other in a plane substantially normal to said leg sections, and a locking plate rigidly interconnecting the inner ends of said arm sections, said locking plate of one structure including engagement means adapted to interlock with the engagement means of the locking plate of the other structure, said engagement means including a slot and a headed pin transversely spaced from the slot and having an enlarged head portion and a shank portion of a diameter less than said head portion; the slot in one plate being generally opposite the pin on the other plate, and formed with one portion of a diameter greater than the enlarged head portion to receive the head of the pin and a curved elongated opening with a width slightly larger than the shank portion of said headed pin, said curved elongated opening including a closed end of the slot forming pin seating means remote from said enlarged slot portion, whereby the two plates are interlocked by a first mutual advance to pass the enlarged head of the pin through the enlarged portion of the slots followed by a opposite relative rotary motion which will be arrested when said shank moving in said curved elongated slot engages said pin seating means thereby preventing further opposite relative rotation of said plates, and the interlocked engagement means retaining the mating structures securely together against perpendicular or horizontal separation in any transverse plane, and the lateral springing of the leg sections when the foot brackets thereof are engaged with a pallet contributing rigidity to said stacking frame assembly.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,520,520 12/1924 Thompson l08153 2,953,340 9/1960 Skubie 10853 3,114,339 12/1963 Baylink 108-53 3,289,613 12/1966 Evans 10853 3,257,974 6/1966 McMasters 108-53 3,313,248 4/1967 Baylink 108-53 FOREIGN PATENTS 580,762 8/1959 Canada. 621,532 6/1961 Canada.

BOBBY R. GAY, Primary Examiner.

GLENN O. FINCH, Assistant Examiner. 

